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Retired pastor aids Pa. families awaiting surgery

By JOHN HILTON York Daily Record

Updated:
11/08/2013 11:50:57 AM EST

YORK, Pa.—He is a picture of order, with oversized glasses and a blue Wellspan overcoat, striding the halls of York Hospital with a purpose every Tuesday and Thursday. Those who work with him know Charles Baboian, 85. He sees to that.

"When I walk these corridors everybody I meet, I say 'Hi' or 'Hello,'" Baboian said on a recent Tuesday. "After a few times hearing from me, almost everyone responds with their own 'Hi' or greeting."

Baboian of West Manchester Township retired as pastor of Shiloh United Church of Christ in 1993. The same year, he began volunteering for WellSpan.

Patients might not know Baboian, but anyone who has waited for a loved one having surgery at York Hospital surely does. He has a checklist of topics he covers with family members as they wait in the designated waiting rooms, often for hours and often all alone.

Charles Plank found himself in that position recently, waiting out his wife's minor surgery. Baboian said the best thing he can say to a loved one is "we wish (him or her) well." Plank's wife was out of surgery by the time Baboian reached him.

"Surgery is over and she's doing well, right?" Baboian said to Plank, of Adams County.

The two men chatted for awhile, before Baboian moved on to the next person. He offered coffee. He answered questions. And he explained how the hospital updates surgery status via a video screen at one end of the waiting room.

Most of all, he listened to their stories.

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Ariell Zimmerman explained how her fiance broke his leg the previous week, which led to a 14-hour stay in the hospital ER. Her fiance is a construction worker and they don't have health insurance, said Zimmerman, of Arendtsville, Adams County.

The break happened near the ankle, she said, making for a delicate surgery. Doctors at Gettysburg Hospital sent the couple to York Hospital for the surgery, Zimmerman said, their first time at the facility.

She said Baboian's presence in the waiting room was a nice touch.

"At a time when there's a lot of negative news, it's nice to see something positive," she said.

"It's a nice communication for the families," Plank added.

Baboian said he gets as much out of volunteering as he gives. He considers it part of his "God-given calling" and a responsibility he has to his greater community. Plus, "it's great to feel needed," he added.

One thing Baboian does not do is inform those he meets that he is a pastor. He doesn't see the need to make things more complicated.

"For some people, the minute you say you're a pastor, that shuts things off," he said.

Baboian is one of about 1,800 volunteers who report to Christi Brown, director of volunteer services for WellSpan.

Closing in on 10,000 volunteer hours, Baboian is one of her longest serving and most dependable.

"Patients love him," she said. "He just has a warm and friendly demeanor. He takes his volunteer role very seriously."

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